The portal’s got its chaos, the NIL war chest is buzzing, but don’t look now. Coach Prime just might be lining up a trench heist that could shake the recruiting board. The Colorado Buffaloes’ latest big swing comes at the expense of a blue-blood ACC program, with Deion Sanders quietly turning up the heat on this longtime Florida State offensive line commit. The 6-foot-7, 330-pound No. 89 OL giant has been on a busy June visit spree, but it was his midweek stop in Boulder that raised eyebrows—and maybe more than that.
Xavier Payne, a three-star OT out of Miami Edison High, has been committed to FSU since December. But his tone shifted after walking into the Colorado locker room and connecting with the Buffs’ O-line staff. “It was great. The best part was being able to sit with the offensive line coaches and truly build that connection while getting to see their plan for me and how I fit into the program,” Payne told Rivals’ John Garcia Jr.
“As I was sitting in the room it really hit me how much NFL experience is on the staff. So not only do they know how to get there because they did it, but also because they have sent so many in their years of coaching.” Translation: Deion Sanders’ staff has Payne’s full attention. But Payne didn’t just bond with the coaches—he linked up with none other than Jordan Seaton, the Buffs’ prized 2024 signee and likely starter at left tackle this fall.
“Me and Seaton actually got on the board for a little and compared my high school plays and showed me how they would run it,” Payne said. “We both love the game deeply and love talking football. Like him sitting with me wasn’t because of the coaches, he had just popped up in the offensive line room to hang a poster up, and we just hit it off.” That kind of organic locker room moment is hard to script, but it says everything about the vibe Prime’s building.
And Payne made it clear: don’t sleep on Boulder. “I meshed really well there. Don’t count them out of my recruitment,” he said. Insiders with the DNVR Buffs Podcast echoed the same excitement. “This is Payne. Again, 6’7″, 330 pounds from Florida. Committed to Florida State since December, but he was here in Boulder.” They added, “They visualize me as a tackle. He told me exactly what I have to fix to become a great tackle rather than interior.” If Colorado can get him to flip, the Buffs may have just found a cornerstone for the next wave of Deion Sanders’ build.
Colorado td @JohnGarcia_Jr @Andrew_Ivins @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/Ld6p4BKdVO
— Xavier Payne (@NYPayne58) June 16, 2025
CU hasn’t landed a 2026 OL yet, but that doesn’t mean the line room is empty. Last cycle, the Buffs signed Chauncey Gooden, Carde Smith, and Jay Gardenhire. But Gardenhire entered the portal in April, and the 2025 depth chart looks like it’ll revolve around Seaton. That makes Payne even more critical, not just as a body, but as a potential bookend anchor who could start early. Coach Prime is making the trenches a priority, and Payne’s profile fits the mold.
Led by the three-headed coaching tandem of Gunnar White, Andre Gurode, and George Hegamin, the Buffs are packaging pedigree with potential. The staff’s NFL experience isn’t just a pitch; it’s a blueprint. And for Payne, who already starts at left tackle in high school, the path to Boulder might come down to where he sees that development maximized. Right now? The flip alert is on full blast.
Florida State’s still in it, no doubt. But Coach Prime just lit a fuse under a recruitment that most assumed was done.
Final whistle coming soon, Deion Sanders or Noles?
The clock’s ticking on Xavier Payne’s recruitment, and the 6-foot-7, 330-pound Florida native is just about ready to call it. Florida State commit—who’s been courted heavily by both Syracuse and Deion Sanders’ Buffs staff—says he’ll have his decision locked in within weeks. “This weekend will reveal a lot,” Payne said. “After FSU I’m done. And where I’m at is where I’m at. My recruitment will be shut down by the end of this month or early next month.”
That makes his return trip to Tallahassee this weekend a final checkpoint. Though he’s been pledged to the ‘Noles since December, his recent visits. Especially the one to Boulder—have certainly stirred the waters. Colorado’s NFL-laden coaching staff, including Hegamin and Gurode, left a strong impression. Seven Buffs from last season’s squad landed in the NFL via draft or free agency. That matters to Payne.
“The biggest thing is gonna be whatever puts me in the best position to get myself to the NFL because that is my ultimate goal,” he previously told Rivals. “I know that I have to do the work. This is all about who can develop me and get me to where I want to be.” One last visit. One final decision.
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